ISC 341 Strategic PR Plan

Leave The Texts Unread

Kylie Crowe and Alexa Fionda

ISC 341-010

June 12, 2022

Executive Summary

The NHTSA has launched several campaigns in efforts to prevent distracted driving, however, the main struggle is drivers understand the dangers of distracted driving, but continue to do it. Many drivers utilize cell phones to make calls, texts, or use social media while behind the wheel. We are choosing to target teens and young drivers, aged 16-21, residing in Kentucky. Young drivers make up the largest proportion of drivers who were involved in distracted-driving fatal crashes (NHTSA, 2022). The main objectives are to reduce distracted driving among young drivers aged 16-21, and drive website traffic to the “Stop Texts. Stop Wrecks.” campaign website.

To reduce distracted driving among young drivers, the NHTSA should educate and convince teens and young adults to leave their texts unread while driving. The NHTSA should spread awareness about the campaign by utilizing social media to inform young drivers about reasons they should care about distracted driving. Educational posts on Instagram and other platforms will be released to show young drivers the reasons to leave their texts on read when behind the wheel. The “Stop Texts. Stop Wrecks.” campaign website will be written on all social media posts and linked in the captions to drive traffic to the website.

The NHTSA should pair with media connectors in Kentucky, along with influential opinion leaders for the target market. The use of media connectors can be utilized to cover events hosted with the non-media connectors. WKYT and the Lexington Herald Leader are two news outlets that the target market frequently uses. The NHTSA can then measure PR metrics for their owned media, the earned media, and overall objectives and events. The strategies we have implemented appeal to the target audience’s interests and will help reach the drivers who are most susceptible to distracted driving.

Research

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) works to enforce safety on American roads through vehicle performance standards and partnerships with state and local governments. To reduce deaths, injuries, and economic losses from motor vehicle crashes. NHTSA was officially established as the highway safety act in 1970. In 1977 NHTSA created the Star of Life, a symbol seen on ambulances and emergency medical equipment used to identify Emergency Medical Services. NHTSA works to investigate safety defects in motor vehicles, enforce fuel economic standards, eliminate, and reduce the threat of drunk drivers, promote the use of seatbelts, and provide consumer information on motor vehicle topics (NHTSA, n.d.). It has a history in building campaigns that focus on the awareness and elimination of distracted driving. There are several campaigns that focus on distracted driving, and many that point specifically to texting and driving. The “Stop the texts. Stop the wrecks” campaign has become the largest effort towards drivers to encourage them to end distracted driving. It has served a mission to eliminate car accidents from distracted driving and raise awareness for the vitality of responsible driving.

The main problem the NHTSA is facing is young drivers understand the dangerousness of using technology while driving but continue to text, make calls, or use social media while behind the wheel. 2.8% of drives ages 18-21 use handheld devices while they are driving (NHTSA, 2020). The NHTSA is struggling with convincing drivers to care about distracted driving; although they are aware of the dangers, they still utilize cell phones while driving.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths:

• The NHTSA is a widely known organization (NHTSA, n.d.).

• There is a large budget to utilize for campaigns (NHTSA, 2022).

• The NHTSA has partnerships with organizations, such as the Ad Council (NHTSA, 2022).

• The NHTSA is partnered with states and local police (NHTSA, 2022).

Weaknesses:

• Previous “U Text. U Drive. U Pay.” or “Stop Texts. Stop Wrecks” campaigns do not seem to appeal to the young drivers to attract their attention or engagement (e.g., taking a pledge on the website).

Opportunities:

• There are many laws against texting and driving (ARAG, 2022).

• The NHTSA’s social media presence can be an influence on the target market, who is heavily involved on various social media platforms (Westcott et al., 2022).

Threats:

• Young drivers don’t seem to care about the dangers of distracted driving.

Objectives

1. To read a total of 1,500 visitors to the Stop Texts. Stop Wrecks. campaign website by the end of next year.

2. To reduce the percentage of drivers aged 16-21 using handheld cell phones while driving from 2.8% to 2.5% by the end of next year.

3. To have 250 young drivers registered for the webinar by June 11, 2022.

4. To gain 50,000 total earned media impressions for the podcast episode by June 19, 2022.

5. To gain 8 news mentions for the webinar by June 11, 2022.

6. To have 500 young drivers aged 16-21 engage with an Instagram post weekly.

Target Audience

We plan to target teens and young drivers, aged 16-21 residing in Kentucky. We chose this age group because they are most susceptible to be engaged in distracted driving, primarily using cell phones. “7% of drivers ages 15-19 involved in 2020 fatal crashes were reported as distracted. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of the fatal crashes” (NHTSA, 2022). The target audience is composed of predominantly white men and women, living in the state of Kentucky, with a household income of less than $20,000.

This target market is composed of many values that resonate with Generation Z. The audience places high value on social consciousness and sustainability. They are advocates for racial and gender equity and strive for representation of all races and genders. The audience also fights for gun control laws and climate change awareness and places value on being an advocate for equal rights (Petrock, 2021). The audience focuses heavily on self-expression and tends to express themselves and define themselves in multiple ways. They place value on having different identities, and not allowing one thing to define themselves. The audience also wants to understand truths to the world and unveil truths (Francis & Hoefel, 2018).

There are many behavioral characteristics that describe how the target audience utilizes digital media and perceives brands. The audience is loyal to brands that are authentic and inclusive (Petrock, 2021). The audience believes that the consumption of brands relies on the ethicality and uniqueness (Francis & Hoefel, 2018). The target market uses social media very frequently. They watch news, listen to music, watch TV shows, shop, and like to watch sports for leisure. The audience also is heavily engaged in on-demand video streaming, such as Netflix and Hulu, and play many video games (Westcott et al., 2022).

Key Message

The key message the NHTSA should tell young drivers in Kentucky surrounds the idea of leaving texts unread while behind the wheel. Leaving messages “on read” is a term that many individuals in the target market utilize because of the use of Apple devices, allowing one to see if a text was read, or unread. The primary message is to drivers on the road: leave the texts unread. The campaign will focus on several reasons to leave texts unread while behind the wheel. According to Driving Tests (2022), there are various reasons for drivers to stop texting and driving, including considering loved ones who care about their safety, protecting pedestrians and other motorists, insurance consequences, legal consequences, and accessible hands-free technology.

Positioning Statement

The NHTSA educates young drivers aged 16-21 about reasons to stop distracted driving among all the driving safety administrations through aesthetically pleasing content on social media to show NHTSA cares about the safety of young drivers and others on the road.

The NHTSA positions itself in an educational and caring tone to young drivers. The campaign will be primarily launched through social media, given many teens and young adults utilize social media channels to receive information. NHTSA can use compelling visuals, such as infographics and social media posts, coming from NHTSA’s point of view that showcase the reasons why young drivers should care about reducing distracted driving.

PESO & Strategies

Owned media will be published through NHTSA owned website platforms at StoptextsStopwrecks.com and NHTSA.org. Shared media can be seen on NHTSA’s official Instagram account @nhtsagov and their campaign Instagram account @stopthetexts. Earned media will be through WKYT (cable and social media accounts), Lexington Herald Leader; Emma Chamberlain’s Instagram @emmachamberlain and @anythinggoes; John Wall’s Instagram @johnwall. Lastly, paid media and other marketing communication mix will be seen through advertising on the social media Instagram.

Connectors

Distracted driving among young drivers is a concept that will impact drivers for the remainder of their life, which is why it is significant to ensure that young drivers are receiving educational information. We wanted to gather media and non-media connectors that would allow young drivers to be educated on reducing distracted driving by appealing to their lifestyle.

We chose to partner with our first non-media connector, John Wall. John Wall is one of the most influential Kentucky Basketball alums. He has an Instagram following of 4.4 million, and many people in the target market follow him on social channels. We chose John Wall because he is well-known in the state of Kentucky and has spoken out on social media about issues that impact Gen. Z and topics that align with Gen Z’s values, allowing young drivers to resonate with those values.

The target market gets 40% of their news from search engines and 30% get their news from news websites, like the Lexington Herald Leader (Auxier & Arbanas, 2022). We chose to contact Jerry Tipton, a Kentucky sports reporter for the Lexington Herald Leader to cover a webinar hosted by the NHTSA and John Wall. Jerry Tipton reports on all things Kentucky basketball, ranging from basketball games to the personal lives of coaches and players. We chose Jerry because he has written about John Wall in the past and covers Kentucky basketball lifestyle news. Additionally, according to the interview results with young drivers, many young drivers get their news from sports-related media, such as UK Athletics, ESPN, sports radio, or other sports-related news sites that cover Kentucky athletics.

The second non-media connector we chose to partner with is Emma Chamberlain. Emma Chamberlain is one of the most popular influencers of generation Z. On Instagram Emma has 15.6 million followers and 10.4 million TikTok. She advocated for many important Gen. Z issues including climate change, sustainability, and gun control. According to the interviews conducted with young drivers in Kentucky, Emma Chamberlain is the most followed influencer among young drivers.

The media connector covering Emma Chamberlain and NHTSA podcast collaboration is WKYT Weekend/Anchor Reporter Garrett Wyner. Garrett is a Lexington, KY native who covers special projects and is a weekend anchor reporter. 14% of Gen Z are watching cable news networks at least a few times a week (Statista, 2022). He would make a good connector because he focuses on special events and has covered stories featuring NHTSA previously.

Tactics and Implementations

1. The NHTSA will create an Infographic and a series of Instagram posts to help educate young drivers about distracted driving and spread awareness about the “Leave the texts unread” campaign.

2. The NHTSA will create a connector list consisting of Kentucky’s top media outlets and the most influential opinion leaders for Gen Z.

3. The NHTSA will host a webinar with John Wall on June 12, 2022.

4. The NHTSA will create a podcast episode with Emma Chamberlain on June 12, 2022

5. The NHTSA will write a press release about the upcoming webinar with the NHTSA and John Wall (See Appendix A) and send it along with a pitch letter to Jerry Tipton asking him to write about the event and encourage young drivers to register.

6. The NHTSA will write a press release about the collaboration between Emma Chamberlain and NHTSA to create a podcast episode and send it along with a pitch letter to Garrett Wyner to cover the story on WKYT (See Appendix B).

7. The NHTSA will create Instagram posts about the upcoming webinar and podcast and pay Instagram to display them in the news feed of Kentucky Instagram users aged 16-24.

Evaluation Plan

PR metrics for earned media (WKYT and Lexington Herald Leader, Podcast):

• PR value/AVE

• Share of voice

• Media impressions for podcast

• The number of news coverages and pickups for the webinar and Lexington Herald Leader

PR metrics for owned media (website, Instagram, Facebook):

• Website visitors

• Bounce rate

• Backlinks (from other sites like WKYT/Lexington Herald Leader, etc.)

• Engagement on Instagram

PR metrics for webinars:

• Number of attendees

PR metrics for PR objective:

• Percentage of drivers using handheld cell phones while driving at the end of next year.

References

ARAG. (2022). Know Your Texting and Driving Facts. Texting & Distracted Driving: Laws, Statistics, Facts & Dangers. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.araglegal.com/member/learning-center/topics/car-and-driver/know-your-texting-and-driving-facts#:~:text=Texting%20and%20driving%20is%20banned%20in%20most%20states.&text=In%2048%20states%2C%20Washington%2C%20D.C.,laws%20banning%20texting%20while%20driving.

Auxier, B., & Arbanas, J. (2022, May 12). News at their fingertips: Digital and Social Tech Power Gen Z Teens' News Consumption. Deloitte Insights. Retrieved June 6, 2022, from https://www2.deloitte.com/za/en/insights/industry/technology/gen-z-news-consumption.html

Driving Tests. (2022). 10 pragmatic reasons to stop texting and driving today. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://driving-tests.org/beginner-drivers/10-reasons-you-shouldnt-text-and-drive/

Francis, T., & Hoefel, F. (2018, November 12). 'True Gen': Generation Z and its implications for companies. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2022). Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://www.nhtsa.gov/

NHTSA. (n.d.). A Drive Through Time. www.nhtsa.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2022, from

https://one.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/timeline/index.html

NHTSA. (n.d) Traffic Saftey Statistics. www.nhtsa.gov Retreived May, 25, 2022, from https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813111

Petrock, V. (2021, November 12). US generation Z demographic and Psychographic Overview. Insider Intelligence. Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://www.emarketer.com/content/us-generation-z-demographic-psychographic-overview

Statista. (2022). Frequency of using selected news sources among Generation Z in the United States as of February 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1124119/gen-z-news-consumption-us/

Stoptextsstopwrecks.org. (2022). Stop Texts. Stop Wrecks. Facts. Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://stoptextsstopwrecks.org/tagged/facts

Westcott, K., Arbanas, J., Arkenberg, C., Auxier, B., Loucks, J., & Downs, K. (2022, March 28). 2022 digital media trends, 16th edition: Toward the metaverse. Deloitte Insights. Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/technology/digital-media-trends-consumption-habits-survey/summary.htm

Appendices

1. Press Release

Kylie Crowe For Immediate Release

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration         

(888) 327-4236

nhtsagov@gmail.com

Press Release

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration partners with John Wall to host a Webinar about distracted driving for young drivers.

Lexington, KY June 2, 2022 – The NHTSA is inviting young drivers to join a Webinar, “Leave The Texts Unread”, via Zoom, with guest speaker John Wall on June 12, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. to talk about distracted driving for young drivers. John Wall attends as a speaker to discuss his first-hand experience of being a driver in Kentucky and highlight the opportunities that distracted driving-related accidents could prevent young drivers from.

“Leave The Texts Unread” will focus on the reasons young drivers should care about reducing distracted driving. The webinar will:

• Discuss loved ones who care about young drivers’ safety. They care more about the safety of the driver than an immediate response to their text.

• Show how teens and young drivers are more susceptible to being in distracted-caused accidents.

• Uncover legal consequences to distracted driving and explain how it can raise the driver’s insurance.

• Explain why it is important to protect pedestrians and other motorists. Pedestrians are difficult to see when behind the wheel and you can put other motorists' lives at risk.

• Demonstrate hands-free technology that is widely accessible and easy to use.

It is shown that in 2018, 237 teen drivers, aged 15-19, were involved in fatal car crashes from distracted driving, and 202 teenagers were killed in distracted-affected car accidents. In light of this, the NHTSA recently launched a new campaign encouraging young drivers to leave their texts on read while driving. Jack Danielson, Executive Director of the NHTSA, stated, “This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of the fatal crashes.”

Teens and young adults aged 15-21 are invited to participate free of charge. To sign up for this webinar, visit www.nhtsa.org or @nhtsagov.

John Wall is a 2009-10 University of Kentucky Basketball Alum. He is 31, now playing for the Houston Rockets after being drafted from Kentucky in 2010.

About The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration strives to enforce safety on American roads through vehicle performance standards and partnerships with state and local governments. The NHTSA serves a mission to prevent car accidents from distracted driving and raise awareness for the vitality of responsible driving. The NHTSA works to investigate safety defects in motor vehicles, enforce fuel economic standards, eliminate, and reduce the threat of drunk drivers, promote the use of seatbelts, and provide consumer information on motor vehicle topics.

For more information please visit https://stoptextsstopwrecks.org or reach us at (888) 327-4236.

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1. Pitch Letter

June 7th, 2022

Garret Wymer

Weekend Anchor/Reporter

NHTSA: Podcast collaboration with Emma Chamberlin

garrett.wymer@wkyt.com

Hello Garret,

I came across one of your articles regarding a Nationwide effort to prevent drunk driving in Kentucky and I respect that you write your articles about important topics that allow your readers to be educated and informed.

The reason I am reaching out is that I am currently creating a podcast collaboration between The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Emma Chamberlin that I believe you will be very interested in since it is related to your previous articles on NHTSA. The podcast “Leave Them Unread” is focused on spreading awareness about the dangers of distracted driving for young drivers.

On June 12th, NHTSA and Emma Chamberlin will publish the podcast episode “Leave Them Unread” on her podcast “Anything Goes” and can be listened to on all streaming platforms. This podcast episode will cover statistics on distracted driving-related accidents and ways young drivers can prevent distracted driving. Since the podcast is being published on Sunday, June 12th. Emma Chamberlin will also be posting on all of her social media platforms before and after the release to promote “Leave Them Unread”.